Our Tailed Burdens
by Megii of Mysteri OusStranger
Summary: On Hiatus They thought that the Two tailed Cat was sealed within me by force, just like their demons. Wrong. Kirara gave her life to save mine, but Akatsuki took her away. I need to find the fox…
1. Chapter 1

**Our Tailed Burdens**

InuNaru xover. They thought that the Two-tailed Cat was sealed within me by force, just like their demons. Wrong. Kirara gave her life to save mine, but Akatsuki took her away. I need to find the fox… Sango Naruto pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha, okay?

**Chapter 1 – Human**

I go by the name Yugito these days. Yugito of Kumogakure. But that's not my real name. Of course, if I did use my real name, people would get curious and suspicious and start asking questions. My real name is Sango and though I'm human, I'm well over two hundred years old.

Well, _was_ human is more like it. No, wait, I'm human again now. They took Kirara from me. My two-tailed demon cat. My family inheritance, she'd been in my family forever. She's the last of her kind and I'm the last of my bloodline. How could they? Kirara, where are you? Why do they want you? Your power? _Our_ power? No, no, stupid, I'm so stupid. It was never _my_ power. It was yours, always yours. That's how you saved me. You used your power to bond with me and make me an unnatural hanyou, saving my life. But the seal on my stomach… it's gone now… Oh, Kirara…

And the rain keeps coming down. Oh, Kami, my hands, they're too numb with cold for me to feel the enormous holes in them. And they're not healing! I'm human again. One hundred percent pure, unadulterated, non-hanyou human. I'm not even blonde anymore. My hair is brown and dark again, just like it used to be, I pause and cough up blood, my mind too slurred to register how worried I should be from the amount I've lost. How much did I lose? Oh, it was a lot back there…somewhere.

I continue crawling on my hands and knees through the hidden village of Konoha. Konoha… this is a ninja village, right? How did I get in? I can't remember. All I know is that I have to get to the kitsune. I have to get to the fox. I can feel his aura nearby. Oh, Shippo, how long since I last saw you? You'll be all grown up by now. But why are you living among humans? There's something… a memory… I know why you're in this human village but I can't quite remember… Oh, Kami, more blood.

All I have to do is reach you, Shippo, and I know I'll be okay. What're these? Oh, right, they're called stairs… My eyes, oh Kami, everything's so blurred. Is it all from the rain? I can't tell. I tilt my head up. I feel you, Shippo. You're right behind this door. It's so hard to pull myself up. I'm leaning against the door on my knees. It's so hard to breathe. It's so hard to raise my fist to knock. Shippo, I want to see you again, I can't wait to see you. Kirara, they took her away. The Akatsuki took her away. Help me get her back, Shippo, I know you can help me. Miroku can't help me anymore, he's dead. He died a long time ago. I don't know if Kagome and Inuyasha are alive. They're probably dead too, they can't help me. Miroku, that pervert… Oh, Kami, it was so long ago and yet I still miss him. I never got to bear his children…

Shippo, is that you? I feel you coming closer… You heard me knocking? Oh, thank you, Kami! I was so scared I was too weak for you to hear me. What's that other aura around you? Who is that? I don't care, just open the door and help me get Kirara back.

Oh, the door's moving. Will I be able to stay upright without it's support? Oh my gosh, I can! I can! I look up. Wait, no, who's this? I don't have the wrong house. I can't have the wrong house. You're not Shippo, though. You have blonde hair and blue eyes and you're wearing orange. You're not Shippo. Shippo has reddish-brown hair and green eyes. I can't help it, I begin to cry. Where is Shippo? I want Shippo. He's the only one that can help me get Kirara back.

"Oh, man… Who are you? What happened to you, miss, are you okay? You're covered in blood." The boy who is not Shippo asks, leaning down to me. What a stupid question…

Weird, he kind of sounds like Shippo, though. Why? That aura… Shippo? Shippo are you stuck in this boy? Are you stuck inside this boy just like Kirara was stuck inside me? I cough again, right onto the boy's orange jacket. Now there's red all over it. Oh, no. I've lost too much blood. The boy looks alarmed and he's saying something but I can't hear him. I'm going to faint. No, I can't faint. Shippo, they took her, they took Kirara away!

I can't escape. The darkness is coming for me. I can't die, I have to save Kirara! They might hurt her! No escape. I feel myself falling to the ground and into darkness.

"Shippo…"

.o0O0o.

Wow, I love how this got started. A really different twist on how I usually write. First person and present tense! Let me know what you all think!

It might be a while until my next update. I don't have much of this written yet, but I really, really wanted to get this up here and started. Read and Review! Flames welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Waking Up**

There's… something. I can hear something… people? People talking. Oh, they went away. Where am I? How did I get here? I'm lying in a bed; I can feel the sheets. How long since I slept in a bed? It has to have been decades… Kirara!

I snap my eyes open and sit up. Shippo! Shippo, where did you go? You have to help me save Kirara!

"Good to see you've finally woken up." Says a strange male voice. I look to the side and see a tall, silver haired man with a mask standing against a wall. That's a hospital wall, right? I've never been in a hospital before. I only have memories of what Kagome told me about them to go on.

"Where am I?" I ask. He looks up from his little orange book and meets my eyes. He has one of his eyes covered. I can't see much of his face. I wonder why.

"You are in Konoha Hospital. Naruto found you outside his apartment, half dead, and brought you here. You've been asleep for about three days, if you're wondering." He turns a page.

I stare blankly at the cover of his orange book. It says, "Make-Out Paradise." Oh, kami, another pervert. Pervert? Oh, no. That reminds me of Miroku. Oh, Miroku, I'm sorry I hit you so much! I'd give just about anything now to feel you touch my backside again! No, stop; don't think about that. I haven't cried in years and I can't start now. I've got nothing to cry about… wait, yes I do. Kirara…

Someone's coming to the door. I recognize that aura! Shippo! Shippo, you're here! You're really here, I found you!

The door opens and there's that blonde boy in orange again, but I don't care. He has Shippo; I know he does. My entire family wasn't the world's best demon slayers for nothing. I don't care what he looks like; I _know_ Shippo is a part of this boy.

Against my better judgment, I leap out of bed and up to this boy. My legs are too weak. Right, I lost too much blood. I fall to my knees and grab him around the middle. My hands scream with pain, but I ignore them. He looks shocked but manages to put on a smile for me. He has a nice smile.

"Good to see you're okay miss. Are you feeling better?" He asks me.

"Shippo, Shippo, you have to help me." I say desperately. "Kirara, they took Kirara away, we have to get her back, Shippo! They took Kirara away from me!"

The boy looks confused. Even the masked man manages to look puzzled and lowers his hentai book. "Um, miss, I'm not Shippo, whoever he is. My name is Naruto."

"No, you're not, you're Shippo." I insist. "You don't look like him, but I know that voice and that demonic power. I'd know you anywhere; my family wasn't the most famous clan of demon slayers in Japan for nothing. But we have to get Kirara back. Akatsuki took her away, Shippo; I'm human again. I know it's been a century since we saw each other last, but you have to help me."

The silver haired man has a disturbed look in his eye. The blonde boy looks down at me sheepishly. "I'm sorry miss, but I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I don't know anyone named Shippo or Kirara and I don't know who you are."

Tears start welling in my eyes. Go ahead and let them see! Let them see a three hundred year-old demon slayer cry! I don't care anymore. "Shippo, it's me, it's _Sango_. I may have changed my name over the years, but I'm still Sango! Why don't you answer me? I know you're stuck inside this boy, I can feel you!" The boy goes tense, as does the man. It's so thick you could cut it with a knife. I glare up at the boy, as if it's his fault that Shippo is sealed inside him and can't answer me. "Why won't you let him answer, boy? Let me talk to my kitsune!"

His eyes grow wide. "Kitsune…"

"Kitsune?" The masked man echoes.

I squeeze his legs tighter, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor. I crawl over him and grab the cuff of his black and orange jacket. They probably think I'm insane now, but I don't care. I'm desperate. "Let him talk! You have to let me talk to him! You have to let me talk to Shippo Kyuubi!"

The tension shatters. The look on the boy's face tells me that I just said something very wrong. The man grabs me by the back of my shirt and hauls me off the blonde boy, tossing me back onto the hospital bed like a rag doll. I probably weigh as much as one now. Even though I can only see one of his eyes, he looks angry. One of his hands latches onto my throat. Oh, Kami, it hurts, I can't breathe; I'm not immortal anymore; I haven't felt pain like this in a long time.

The man appears as if he's about to say something, but a blonde woman bursts into the room. "What the _hell _is going on?"

The blonde boy points at me. I glare at him. Shippo, what are you doing? You promised never to betray me! You _promised_. The masked man still hasn't let go of my throat. Much longer and I'll black out. I can't let that happen again, I have to save Kirara! Even in my weakened state, I'm still very strong. I grab his wrist and twist it mercilessly. He grunts loudly in pain from a now broken wrist, but he doesn't let go. Why? Who could hold on after such a viciously broken wrist? Then it hits me; he's a ninja!

"Kakashi, let her go, you're choking her." She orders. She points at me. "And you, calm down, you'll only make things worse."

Reluctantly, the man backs off, cradling his hand. I bolt upright. "It can't get any worse!" I exclaim. "The Akatsuki took Kirara out of me, I have to save her!" I look pleadingly down at the blonde boy. "They took my fire cat away; they took my two-tailed kitty away. Shippo Kyuubi, you always promised to take care of Kirara, why won't you help me now? She needs us! Who knows what those damn Akatsuki might do to her!" I'm crying. Damn. I haven't cried in over a hundred years. "They're horrible people! They're as bad as Naraku was! You remember what he was like! You remember! You won't let them get away with this will you?"

The boy looks heart broken and confused. The other adults seem shocked, their anger temporarily forgotten. I can't stop crying; I want my kitty back.

"What is your name?" The blonde woman asks gently. I don't let it show, but I am shocked by the change in her tone.

"Y-Yugito of Kumogakure." Automatic response. It's second nature now.

"That's a lie." The silver haired man hisses. "You said, just a moment ago, that your name was Sango."

"Sango?" The blonde woman repeats, surprise in her voice.

I bow my head grimly. "I used to be called that, but that was a long time ago. I changed my name; my birth name brings back too many memories."

"Sango as in the demon slayer, Sango? The Sango that helped collect the shards of the Shikon Jewel? She's your namesake?"

I glance up and shake my head. I know that if I'm going to get Kirara back, I have got to trust these people. They're my only hope! "No, she _is_ me."

Now the woman looks _really _shocked. "That's not possible. That was over three hundred years ago. You can't be her."

I growl at her. Wow, Kirara's habits really wore off on me. "Who says I can't? I've been a hanyou for the past three hundred years! I've been immortal! Yeah, go ahead and look! Watch a three hundred year-old, broken, demon slayer cry! I don't care anymore! I don't have time for this… I have to save Kirara before those Akatsuki do something terrible to her! I shouldn't have come here. You won't even acknowledge me, Shippo! I've got to go."

I move to slide off the bed, but am quickly pushed back down by the masked man and his good hand. He doesn't look that angry anymore. I feel kind of bad for breaking his wrist now.

"Just hold on for a moment. You just woke up and this is some really unnerving and shocking news for us." He said.

I look over at Shippo pleadingly, be he just goes ridged and doesn't respond. How can he not recognize me? I bury my face in my hands and breathe deeply. I nod ever so slightly. He's right. I'm being too rash. I don't even know where the Akatsukli headquarters are. I can't save Kirara on my own. I need help. Hastily, I wipe away my tears.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just… I'm completely lost without her. I feel like everything's fallen apart." I put my face back in my hands, sighing. The ninjas (I assume they were all ninjas) were caught in a silence for a moment. At last the blonde woman turns to the boy who isn't Shippo.

"Naruto, would you mind going down to the cafeteria and getting us all some tea? Feel free to help yourself to some ramen. Kakashi, let me see your wrist." The boy stood up and hastily exited the room. I feel guilty. I've scared him. Now he probably won't even look at me, much less help me get Kirara back. I stare after him as the woman tends to the masked man's wrist, healing it with what I know to be called chakra.

"Naruto," I begin carefully, "Is… a Jinchuuriki, isn't he?"

The blonde woman looks over at me, and nods. I hold my elbows and stare at the wall, too ashamed to say anything more. Usually, I wouldn't care about such emotions, but now that Kirara is gone my entire demeanor has crumbled. This is going to take some getting used to. I dread the thought of all the emotional turmoil I'm going to face. It was bad enough getting used to being a hanyou, but becoming human again? They have so many more emotions and much less control over them…

The masked ninja, apparently called Kakashi, flexes his wrist. My eyes widen slightly, but other than that I show no surprise. Even demons can't heal that quickly. Ninjas are such odd creatures.

The blonde woman comes over and sits down next to me. I tense slightly. How long since someone did that? Everyone was always afraid of me. Because of Kirara. Oh, how I wish you were afraid of me.

She reaches out and takes my hand; I flinch away. I'm not used to contact unless it's from battle. Oh, no, she looks kind of sad. Great, now I feel bad again. Stupid human emotions.

"Sorry." I say, forcing myself to relax. "I'm not use to being around people."

She nods. "So… do you prefer to be called Sango or Yugito?"

"Yugito." I say surely. No one can call me by my real name anymore. Shippo is the only one I'll allow to do that.

"Okay, Yugito. You claim to be a three hundred year old woman who was once called Sango. The same Sango of the Shikon Jewel. Do you mind telling us how you and, eh, Kirara, were sealed together? And how Akatsuki removed her from your body?"

I narrow my eyes at her. Those are personal memories, personal thoughts, she doesn't need to know about them. "Why should I tell you? It seems I can't even say Shippo's clan name here, I'm not allowed. Why? How did Shippo even get inside that boy? What makes you think my story won't have the same after affect? I don't even know your name yet."

Oh, great, I made her feel bad again. I seem to be doing that a lot now. Oh, but… She's answering my questions!

"… My name is Tsunade, and I'm the Hokage of this Hidden Leaf Village." She's saying. Hokage? Oh, right, like the Raikage only different. I get it. "The person you keep talking about, Shippo, is it? Well, he's sealed inside Naruto. The fourth Hokage sealed him within his navel fifteen years ago. Kyu-, I mean, Shippo, killed many people, so no one was allowed to speak of the incident again…"

Could she make it any more vague? What an unsatisfying response. So they sealed Shippo inside that boy's belly button. Wonder what the seal looks like. I never had a seal in the first place, seeing as I was never technically a Jinchuuriki to begin with. Did these people even ask themselves why Shippo was attacking the village in the first place? Damn humans. Demons never kill without reason. I bet it was because Naraku was here. I hope Shippo managed to get him and tear him into millions of tiny little pieces. Oh, no wait, Inuyasha already did that.

I don't like the way she's talking to me. It's like she's talking to a child. I'm not a child, hell; I'm older than she is. I decide to voice my thoughts.

"Please stop talking to me like I'm a child." I say, interrupting her. She looks kind of shocked. I guess people don't interrupt her often. "I'm not a little kid, so stop speaking to me as if I am one. I'm older than you are. Hell, I'm even older than Shippo is, okay?"

Oh, boy, now she looks a little pissy. Maybe I was too hasty? I should really stop pissing people off.

"All right, Yugito, but if I'm going to do that you have to stop acting like a child."

Wrong answer. Now _I'm_ angry too.

"Acting like a child? Acting like a child?! I am _not_ acting like a child; I'm trying to cope here! Do you have any idea what it's like to suddenly be bombarded with emotions you haven't felt in hundreds of years? My entire demeanor has crumbled in a matter of hours! Do you have any idea of the emotional turmoil I'm on the verge of facing? No, of course not! You're just a human; you can't even hope to understand! And I'm not telling you anything until Ship- er, Naruto comes back because he has to hear this too. I came here because of him! Does he trust you? How do I know I can trust you?"

Oh, Kami, mood swings. Now it's really falling apart. Oh, jeez, they probably think I'm even more nuts now. Ugh! Stupid human emotions! I miss Miroku…

Naruto walks back into the room, carrying a tray with three cups of tea on it. He looks nervous and is eyeing me suspiciously. I feel terrible. I was too thoughtless when confronting him. Now he's afraid of me. Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry!

He hastily puts the tray in Tsunade's lap. "Here." He mumbles shortly before giving me a nervous glance and heading back to the door.

"Wait! Naruto! Please?" I cry out, extending a hand toward him. He stops, his hand on the door handle, and looks back at me. I cup my hands to my chest and lower my eyes. "I'm sorry I frightened you. I didn't mean to; I'm just desperate and I've lost a lot of blood. I'm not thinking clearly. I understand if you never want to see me again. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry."

I don't have the courage to meet his eyes so I stare at the floor. He'll never accept me. He's just going to laugh or not say anything at all, I'm sure.

"That's okay, miss! I understand! No hard feelings, okay?"

I look up immediately, surprise taking over my features. He's smiling at me! "R-really?"

"Yeah!" he exclaims, sitting o the other side of me. "You've been through a lot, I can relate. Besides, I can never hold a grudge for very long. Let me introduce myself, I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the greatest ninja ever!" He points to the blonde woman. "That's Tsunade-baa-chan," she looks angry that he called her that. I can't help but wonder why. Lastly, he points to the masked ninja, "And this is Kakashi-sensei."

Suddenly, the blonde woman hit Naruto on the head. "I'm not old!" she yells. Ever so subtly, I lean away from her. She's scary.

"Oi, and Naruto, I haven't been your sensei for a while now. How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Kakashi?" The silver haired man says. Naruto just rubs his sore head and grins. He smiles just like a fox. I like it.

His smell drifts into my nose. Hey, I know that smell! Gosh, I missed it too. He smells like Inuyasha! Well, except for the dog smell. He smells like ramen and fox instead of ramen and dog. But the ramen smell is still there! I can't help but giggle at this.

Naruto turns to me questioningly. "What's so funny?" he asks me. I look at him, still giggling.

"You smell just like Inuyasha!" I exclaim. I smile at him softly. "I missed that smell."

"What smell?"

I giggle again. "Ramen."

The boy brightens up like a candle. "I love ramen!" he tells me. The two other adults in the room roll their eyes. I wonder… oh, what's he doing? Still talking. Jeez, he loves ramen that much? Hmm, that restaurant must be good. He likes that flavor, huh? Okay. Still talking. Has he even taken a breath yet? Man, I thought Inuyasha was obsessed with the stuff. Where's the off button on this kid? Is he turning blue? Breathe, kid; breathe! Shut up! Somebody turn this thing off! Stupid mood swings!

I shake his shoulder. "Kid, stop talking for a second, will you? I think you're turning blue!"

He stops and takes several large breaths, his face returning to its normal color. A bead of sweat trickles nervously down my cheek. What a strange boy. I can't resist smiling at him, though. He's rather endearing.

Tsunade clears her throat. "Well, Yugito, now that Naruto is here maybe you'd be willing to tell us what exactly happened to you?"

My mood sobers quickly and I press my lips together, looking down at my wounded hands in my lap. "Akatsuki. They attacked me and extracted Kirara, my two-tailed cat."

The overall mood in the room darkens. Naruto looks furious, he's clearly heard of this before. Before he can burst out with whatever it is he wants to say, the masked man speaks up.

"How are you alive? If Akatsuki extracted your demon from your body, you should be dead by all means."

Naruto and Tsunade both look surprised at this, but also suspicious as they realize that it is true. I sigh. "I'm alive because I was never technically a Jinchuuriki." This shocks all of them. I continue. "If you know the legend of the Shikon Jewel, you will know just how Naraku became a half-demon. He was a human on the brink of death that allowed a number of demons to possess him. Basically, the same thing happened to Kirara and me. She possessed me, saving me from death, and I've been a hanyou for the last three hundred years. Until now, at least." Teardrops fall from my chocolate eyes and I swipe them away hastily. "I-I'm sorry. Its difficult dealing with all these emotions after so long, even more difficult knowing Kirara isn't with me anymore. She's been in my family for generations. She practically helped raise me…"

I look up when I feel a hand squeeze my shoulder reassuringly. I look up into the face of Naruto, who is smiling softly in understanding. I gather courage at his smile and continue.

"As for how she was taken from me… well, I guess it was a few days ago, seeing as I've been out of it for a while. I was back in Kumogakure visiting… the grave… of… an… old friend." Miroku… "I actually don't spend much time in Kumo, but my family's old village is there, so I'm more or less allied to it. I feel obliged to be, you know? Well, I was leaving when two men in Akatsuki cloaks ambushed me. Black, high-collared cloaks with red clouds, right? Their names were Kakuzu and Hidan. We fought and they forced me to use Kirara's power, but they still managed to beat me, pinning me to a wall with kunai through my hands. I paused, taking several shaky breaths. Naruto continued rubbing my shoulder comfortingly, though he was looking extremely pissed at the information he was hearing. "The next thing I knew… they had taken Kirara, leaving me for dead, and I was weak and human again." I bite my lip, looking up at Naruto. "Shippo is the only one from the old days that I knew to be still alive and with no one else to turn to… I guess I came to you."

His expression is a bit unreadable. I was never very good at reading people. Partially because, well… they usually ended up dead anyway, so there wasn't much of a point. All three of them look like they're trying to decide what to say.

Naruto stands up abruptly, looking down at me with the most determined pair of eyes I've ever seen. "I'll help you get your cat back."

**End Chapter 2**

Ugh, after… how long?! I've finally got chapter 2 up. I cut it off earlier than I wanted to, though. Because of this, I'm looking for someone who'd like to be my co-author for this fic. It's just not getting any attention and since it's one of my first fics, I don't want to sell it off as a plotbunny.

I'm going to be very picky about who I choose to help with this since my other fic that has a co-author, "Tousan," has pretty much been taken over and I have lost reviewers. I don't want that to happen with this fic.

I'm going to be holding a contest for the position. The details of the contest are as follows:

Write a short piece (poetry, short story, whatever) relating to "Our Tailed Burdens" so that I can get a feel for your writing style and what direction you would be pushing this in. Also, please be aware that the pairing has been switched to NarutoXSango and that this takes place after the time-skip.

Your piece of writing can be as long or short as you want it to be. If you want some extra material to work with so that you have an idea of what I have planned for this fic, just ask and you'll get some spoilers.

Your writing does not have to be restricted to Yugito/Sango's point of view. You can write about other characters also, as long as they are connected to this fic.

Send entries to:

quildainia AT yahoo DOT com

or just include them in your review. That works too.

-

Other than that, I hope you're all pleased with this chapter! I'm happy with how well I managed to pull off Yugito/Sango's emotional ups and downs, confusion, and personality. Also, if you didn't catch why Tsunade and Kakashi let their hostility fade so quickly, it's because they thought she was a loony and you just don't hit crazy people. Her story is pretty hard to believe!

Please read and review! Virtual cookies for those who do! (seriously, i have a picture that i'll send everyone)

Flames will be given to Gai and Lee.

Mysteri

Kyuubi Fanatic – To all potential co-authors, the best of luck to ya! Just….don't follow in **Jjvalour**'s footsteps please? nn;;;


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Escapade Outside**

The first night's sleep in the hospital is tense for me, but most of my energy has been spent on healing my wounds and I drift off to sleep before I even realize that my eyes have closed. The sun crawling into the earth on the horizon, emitting its soft, radiant golden glow, so much like Kirara's fur, is the last thing I witness for the day.

-

That night Naruto walked to his apartment eyeing the door for a second, remembering the desperation in Yugito's eyes and voice as she begged to see this "Shippo."

If the Kyuubi were to be removed from his seal would Naruto miss him too? Naruto wasn't sure. He locked his front door behind him, marched straight to his bedroom, removed his shoes, crawled into bed, not bothering to remove his clothes to change into pajamas, and only stopped long enough to remember to pull his nightcap on his head before he dozed, the clock striking eleven at night.

_Dreamscape_

Naruto and the great fox stared at one another through the bars, blood red eyes meeting blue. Nothing was said. They looked at one another as if seeing each other for the first time and, for once, the kitsune's eyes were not filled with malice. Kyuubi was the first to break eye contact.

"Sango…" He whispered and turned away, leaving Naruto alone to stare at nothing but darkness.

-

The boy who wasn't Shippo grins down at me as I twist the blankets between my fingers.

"Sneak out?"

"Shh!" He hushes quickly, leaning down. "Yeah. You can't eat ramen in a hospital, Yugito!"

I tilt my head in confusion. "Why not? Is it not allowed?"

Naruto shakes his head at me like a parent would an ignorant child. "Oh, come on! Haven't you ever been in a hospital before?"

"Um, no."

He pulls away, scratching the back of his neck. "Well… wish I could say that…" he mumbles. "Food just doesn't taste right in a hospital, you have to sneak out. With all these antiseptic chemicals and sick people around here, it's the worst place to eat ramen. Come on! I even brought you some spare clothes of mine!" he exclaims softly, pulling said clothing out of seemingly nowhere.

"Well…" I say hesitantly, taking the black T-shirt and beige pants from him. "I suppose it's okay to go for a little while…" I said looking at the clothing

"Great!"

I looked up sharply.

"I'll wait outside, okay? Just let me know when you're done changing." He gives me a short wave before walking out, closing the door behind him with a wink.

I chew on my bottom lip and look down at the clothes in my hands. Oh, boy, sneak out in Naruto's clothes. If I said I'd done something like this before… I wouldn't be lying, but it's not something I've done regularly. It was once, just once and I wasn't sneaking out of a hospital. It was actually Kagura sneaking me out of Naraku's hideout. In other words: it was a very, very long time ago.

Nevertheless, I carefully remove my hospital gown and slip the shirt over my head. The clothing is soft and comforting on my skin. Hee hee, and it smells like ramen! When it comes to his shorts, though, I twist my face in discomfort. It wasn't that they're uncomfortable it's just that… they need to be buttoned.

I swallow thickly, a blush covering my cheeks as I stand, holding the shorts to my waist and walk over to the door. My eyes burn. I feel so pathetic. I can't even button a pair of pants.

"Naruto?" the door opens abruptly and I stumble back as the blonde boy strides in.

"Ready? Hey… Yugito, what's wrong? Are you crying?" he's by my side in an instant; hands on my shoulders in a comforting gesture.

I swipe at my eyes. "Gomenasai… I… I can't do the button because of my hands… I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Hey, it's okay." He says gently. He turns me to face him and brushes my tears away with his fingers. "Come one, that's nothing to cry about."

I sniffle. "Could you… um, could you… uh…" My blush grows, causing Naruto to look at me in confusion. "Could you do the button for me?" I finish hurriedly.

It takes a moment, but a violent blush quickly covers his face. He gapes at me. "Um, um, ah… I… uh… I… c-could you repeat that?"

I look away, repeating my words in a whisper. "Could you do the button for me, please?"

He steps away, face burning red. "I… um, I… I g-guess I could. Um… I-I promise I won't do anything perverted! I swear!"

I can only nod, too shy to meet his eyes.

I then eye the ceiling, both warm and cold chills running down my spine. Don't think of his hands Sango, at least he isn't getting any ideas like Miroku…. Miroku… I fight the urge to cry, hard, clinging to the remains of my shattered pride.

"O-okay. Done." He says, standing. We stand in shy silence for several moments, looking away quickly whenever we meet one another's eyes.

"So…" I begin uncertainly. "Shall we go get ramen now?"

"Yes!" he answers almost immediately. He coughs a little. "I mean, yeah. Let's go!" His attitude quickly brightens and he grabs my wrist, apparently mindful of my hands, and pulls me over to the window, quickly yanking it open. I freeze upon seeing how high we are.

"Um, N-Naruto…"

"Here we go!" he declared, swinging his arms under me and picking me up bridal style. I squeak in surprise, arms automatically latching around his neck.

"What are you doing?!"

"Hold on!"

Of all the things he could have done, I really didn't expect jumping out the window to be one of them, though, in retrospect, I should have seen it coming the moment he opened the window.

I squeal in fear and squeeze myself into him, my face buried in the crook of his neck. Wind caresses my body softly, but I'm not falling from seven stories. I pull away slowly, my heart banging in my ribcage, and look up into Naruto's grinning face.

"What?" He asks, feigning innocence. "Did you think I would let you fall?"

I blush in embarrassment and irritation, looking away only to catch sight of the ground, which is about a hundred feet below me.

I gasp and cling to him tighter, wiggling in his arms. "High, high, high… so very, very high…" I say breathlessly, causing Naruto to laugh. "It's not funny." I whine, scowling.

He chuckles. "I guess not. Just hold on tight, okay?"

"I think I've got it covered." I retort. He only laughs harder.

For a moment I feel his chest shudder with joyful laughter before I feel a slight lift in the air caress me. I am suddenly aware of the firm muscular torso I'm clinging to and I instinctively tighten my grip on the orange and black jacket I fight back a scream as my stomach sinks rapidly toward the ground and leaving me completely behind. I shut my eyes.

We're falling! We're falling! We're falling! We're… not falling? I squint my eyes as they open slowly, my irises settling onto the blonde's chin and mouth. I shut my eyes once more, tightly, but sigh in relief, burying my face in his shoulder.

He begins to move again, now running through the complex maze of buildings that make up the Hidden Village of Konoha. I peek out, to gaze at the scenery briefly, and the rest of the trip flails by as an intense blur of movement and whooshing air.

When I feel the movement finally stop, I reopened my eyes properly as he sets me on my feet with a reassuring smile.

He looks down at me and I can't help but blush a little. Kami, I'm pathetic. What happened to my courage, my female pride? Why am I hiding behind him? Oh, I feel so lost…

"Here we are!" he exclaims suddenly and I gather what's left of my pride to step beside him, letting my eyes fall curiously upon the little restaurant. I pause to get a good look at the humble little abode, the rich smell of noodles and pork wafting into my no-longer-sensitive nose.

Grinning, Naruto turns to me. "What are you waiting for? Come on!" He grabs my wrist gently, careful not to touch my injured palm and leads me inside. "Hey, Ayame-neechan! Teuchi-jiji!"

An older man and a young woman look up at the sound of Naruto's voice, their faces quickly forming smiles.

"Hey there, Naruto!"

"Hi, Naruto-kun!"

"What can we get you today?"

"And who's your friend?"

I follow Naruto to the seats; my eyes fixed on the soft-faced, brunette young woman and older man, presumably her father, behind the counter. Naruto lays a hand on my shoulder, grinning.

"Guys, this is Yugito. Yugito, this is Ichiraku Teuchi and Ayame, the best ramen makers around!"

The two Ichirakus' chuckle apparently used to the boy's antics. I take a seat idly, smiling back at the two uncertainly. Naruto immediately begins spouting off the different things he wants, practically leaving me in the dust to gape at him. Teuchi nods absently while Ayame giggles, turning to me.

"Will he seriously eat all of that?" I ask, bewildered.

The brunette nods, laughing lightly. "He will, as a matter of fact. I still don't know where he puts it all. What would you like?"

I lay my hands on the counter, pondering. "Beef ramen, please." I say, considering its high in protein and iron content that would make up for my blood loss. I also ask of they have any western style utensils. Chopsticks might cause my wounds to reopen.

The woman turns to her father. "Ne, otou-san? Do we have any western eating utensils?"

The man looks up and places a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I think there might be some in the back room in that box labeled, 'extras.'"

Ayame nods and leaves, returning several moments later cleaning a set of very dusty silverware just as our food is set in front of us. I smile thankfully as she hands the fork and spoon to me. Naruto happily breaks his chopsticks with the perfection of a veteran and dives into the sea of rich miso broth, retrieving the tender noodles from the bottom and dragging them into his mouth to slurp with joy. I can do nothing but stare in awe for several seconds.

Inuyasha was the only person I'd ever seen that could make eating noodles look like an art and this blonde just blew his skills right out of the water!

I shake my head lightly, realizing I had been staring and pick up my spoon. I swallow thickly as I look at my ramen, eyes wide as if I were savoring the moment. I watch the liquid seep into the small cup as I dip the rim of the spoon under the surface before bringing it to my lips. I blow gently on it, causing the steam to waver and the surface to dance like a miniature brown ocean.

"It's good, ne?" Naruto says, smiling foxily.

I nod as I sip the broth out of the spoon, feeling my face warm slightly. Maybe it was due to my fading memories of ramen or that this ramen was made from fresh ingredients, but I found my meal to be much more mouth-watering than the freeze-dried noodles Kagome-chan would bring us back in my younger days when we hunted for the shards of the Shikon-no-tama.

Light giggles bursts from my lips. I remember how we always used to call that stuff "ninja-food." This is rather ironic when I think about it. I'm eating ninja food with a ninja… although this time it actually really is ninja food.

"Aha! Naruto, do you realize that Tsunade-shishou is looking for you? She said that you would… ah, Naruto, who is this?" An unfamiliar voice chimes in. I turn away from the noodles to face the one speaking.

It's a young female about Naruto's age with curious emerald eyes that remind me of Shippo's. She is dressed in a sleeveless red shirt that zips up the front and black shorts that reach above her knees and pale pink flaps that cover her hips like a skirt, though they are longer than Kagome-chan's old school uniform. Tied to her hips are pouches that contain unseen equipment. Gloves grace her hands and a red headband tied above her bangs reveals her kunoichi status. However, what really catches my attention is that fact that her hair is not a color I have seen on humans before; they're vivid pink.

"S-Sakura-chan!' Naruto yelps before laughing nervously, his hand positioned on the back of his head. "Uh, Yugito, this is my teammate, Sakura. Sakura-chan, this is Yugito."

"Hello. Nice to meet you." Sakura replies.

I freeze for a moment before remembering my manners. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Sakura-san." I bow my head lightly from my seat.

"Ugly, have you seen Dick-less yet?" Another voice, this time male, calls out. He sounds nearby. "Ah, there you are."

Dick-less? Ugly?

"Sai! What did I tell you about that nickname?" Naruto exclaims, frowning irritably.

I watch him; half expecting the blonde to turn and hit the other boy on the head like Inuyasha would do to Shippo. However, Naruto only stands and turns to face the owner of the voice with a scowl.

"Sai" is a pale young man that's maybe a year or two older than Naruto, though he is shorter me by a good couple of inches and has short black hair framing his eerily pale features. He wears a black shirt that exposes his narrow, almost feminine midriff and the mandatory shinobi pants, which hang just below his hips. A katana is sheathed onto his back. On his face lingers a borderline fake smile that seems to try to work its way to being natural. His eyes, although somewhat dull, seem to show a slightly friendly glimmer to them, though it appears somewhat forced and difficult to manage. On his forehead, just like Naruto, is the Konoha hitae-ate.

"There you are. Tsunade-sama is angry at you for sneaking a patient out of the hospital and I was wondering, Dick-less, why?" He looks over at me, as though measuring me on a data sheet before coming to a hypothesis. "Hmm, I have to say, Dick-less, if you are on a date you might want to wait until…"

"I-It's not like that!" Naruto splutters. A myriad of emotions wash over me and I place a hand on my forehead, feeling my face heat up uncharacteristically. I'm not getting a fever, am I? "She just wanted to try some ramen, and I didn't think that take out ramen would be best in a hospital full of sick people!"

I breathe slowly as I listen to their banter. In a strange sort of way, Sakura reminds me of Kagome while Naruto is stuck somewhere between Inuyasha and Shippo. Sai is a little hard to place, though his pale, emotionless features remind me of Kanna a bit. Just thinking of my old friends causes a pang to rise in my chest and I slump a little as gloomy thoughts invade my mind. Oh, Kami-sama, how I miss them…

"Oi, girl, why are you crying?" I hear Sai inquire. I look up at him with puzzlement before reaching up to touch me moistened cheeks. "Is that what I should call you? Crybaby?"

A crybaby? A Crybaby?! I'm no crybaby! I reach up threateningly, only to remember that I no longer possess Hiraikotsu. Growling, I then reach out to…

Naruto beats me to it as he pounces on Sai with a panicked expression before covering his teammate's mouth. "Sorry about that, Sai here doesn't know what he's saying!" The fox boy exclaims, sending me an apologetic look and smacking Sai upside the head. "You never call girls something like that." I hear him growl into the other boy's ear before dragging him off.

"Boys," Sakura sighs, rolling her emerald orbs. I can't help but agree, swiping away at my eyes, "Come on, Yugito-san. I'll escort you back to the hospital."

"What about my ramen?" I ask.

"Oh, uh, Teuchi-san? Could we please get a take out bowl?" She calls to the gray haired man inside. I guess I'll be eating at the hospital after all. I'm sorry Naruto…

Sakura bows her head thankfully as Teuchi hands her the wrapped bowl of noodles before turning to me and gaining a confused expression.

"Are you wearing Naruto's clothes?" She asks, bewildered.

I flush brightly. "Yeah…"

The pink haired woman shakes her head. "That idiot is so… never mind. I don't even want to know. Come one. Tsunade-shishou isn't happy about your disappearance and the sooner you're back in the hospital the better."

I nod guiltily as I slide off the stool and walk after her. I hold my elbows, though my back is straight and shoulders high out of habit; it's the only sign that I'm uncomfortable. Sakura doesn't seem to have any interest in making conversation with me, so I stare at her feet, too shy to try to talk to the oddly pink haired young woman.

Was I really so dependent on Kirara? I know I had needed her in order to simply be alive, but for me to crumble like this… and to such an extent… When Kirara was I were still joined in one body, I wasn't nearly as emotional. I wouldn't break down into hysterics at the thought of my old friends, and I had moved on from Miroku. However, now it seems that my mentality has set back to the last time I was human. Hanyou callousness no longer seems to apply; all those years I'd spent as an immortal appear to have been taken away, but my friends haven't come back…. Was this how Inuyasha felt every new moon?

I swallow thickly and grasp the clothing over my heart. I feel ill and empty. I vaguely wonder this is what Kagura felt each time Naraku squeezed her beating heart in the palm of his hand. It feels like ice is flowing through my blood, and I'm left with a very… lonely feeling.

I pause as Sakura and I come to the entrance to the hospital and hot tears fill my eyes. The smell of bandages and healing ointments is one I thought I'd long forgotten, but I do remember, and it brings old memories to the front of my mind unwittingly. I remember how Kagome would always bandage everyone so well after a battle, putting aside her own needs for others, no matter what. How well she took care of us all. Her cooking. Her smile. Even her funny little accent that was a result of her being from a different time.

Sakura looks back at me. "Yugito-san?"

My energy leaves me beaten by the effort to stem the emotional turmoil that has run amok inside. I can't help it. I break down.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" I wail, falling to my knees. I clutch my head briefly, but am forced to pull away at the pain that sprouts in my palms. My mind automatically blocks out the rest of the world as I fall into the dark abyss that Kirara left behind. Why did I have to be the only one that was immortal? Why couldn't I have died along with them? Why couldn't I have been able to pass through the well too? They left me. Each and every one of them, they left me alone! Why? Was I not good enough to be their friend, companion, or family? Someone tugs on my arm, but I only cry harder, shying away to curl into a ball.

Kagome was like the sister my mother miscarried. Inuyasha… a close cousin or in-law… Shippo… a beloved nephew… Miroku… the lover I watched from afar, but never had the courage to confront. Even Kagura had a certain amount of emotional value to me. And now… Kirara… the last link I had to the past… was gone. Why? Why the hell did they have to leave me behind?! All alone?!

Kagome and Inuyasha left to live in Kagome's era, the well sealing behind them. Miroku died; Kagura was absorbed into Naraku before we destroyed him; Kohaku died when the jewel shard was removed from his back; and Shippo grew up and left to find adventure and power.

I sense a warm, red demonic aura approaching me. It is familiar and comforting. It is enough to pull me out of my mind and I push myself to my feet desperately, running toward that oh-so-familiar person. I hear some muffled exclamations, but I don't care. Tears blur my vision, making it all but impossible to see straight, but I continue forward as if that figure of orange and black is the only thing keeping me alive.

"SHIPPO!" I cry, launching myself into the uncertain arms of the figure. I embrace him with all the strength I can muster, my hands clutching at the folds of fabric on his back, and tear-stained face pressed into his firm chest. It takes a moment, but his arms soon wrap around me in return and my legs give out pulling us both to the ground on our knees.

"Don't you leave me too," I whisper between sobs, half screaming. "They all left me behind, don't you leave me all alone again too!"

The figure says something to me, but I'm too distraught to be able to tell what it is. I feel fingers start to weave themselves through my hair, and I stiffen momentarily before giving into the touch, relaxing and sobbing harshly into his torso.

I think my hands have begun bleeding again, but I cannot tell, nor do I care. His touch, the human contact I've been deprived of for so many long years, is soothing, calming, and so, so welcome.

I shiver with bitter joy and hug tighter before I feel his arms pick me up and gently carry me away, still wrapped around me like a warm blanket on a frost winter morning. My feet, turned slightly to feel the arms and torso of my beloved kitsune drape around me like a shawl and my arms cling to it tightly. It is the source of life for me right now.

My eyes begin to droop but I still follow the direction the living blanket provides and eventually realize we're in my hospital room. I feel the cool, soft fabric and mattress come up to meet with me as I drift off to sleep, still hanging on to my kitsune in all his orange and black glory. I'm ignorant to the looks we are receiving from the hospital staff and Sakura. The familiar figure by my side is currently the very center of my universe. A comforting feeling overcomes my suddenly exhausted form and I drift off in to the comforting darkness, his arm still held tight in my grip.

-

**End Chapter 3**

Mysteri: Okay! Our first chapter with the coauthor! Woo! I love how this came out! I would never have thought of half of this stuff without her! Did you all like it? Yugito is beginning to adjust, but as you can tell, her mentality is still in pieces, and she's beginning to cling to Naruto since Kyuubi's the only familiar force around her.

**Triops Master**: Ah… you're too kind. Hi Readers! I hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I did writing and brainstorming. Muh ha ha ha ha!!!! I remember how emotional some people are when they are tired, especially when they are in a stressful situation like Yugito. Well, thanks for reading, please review.

Mysteri: Don't forget, those who review get pictures of cookies sent to them! Until next time! Ja ne!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Moving Plans**

Naruto gently stroked the chocolate haired woman's hand as she fell asleep crying. Yugito's hands, the bandages starting to stain red with blood, clung to his arm for dear life, her face nuzzled into his shoulder. She whimpered and snuggled closer to him, her breathing slowing to a steady, calm rhythm.

"Shippo…" she murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear. He entwined his fingers in her hair, azure eyes softening.

"Yare, yare," Tsunade sighed, walking to the other side of the hospital bed, "I swear, Naruto, sometimes…"

"What did I do?" He asked, frowning.

"How about sneaking her out of the hospital without my permission, gaki!" the Godaime snapped.

Naruto flinched slightly, but held firm. "Oi, I was just taking her out for some ramen! We were coming right back!"

Sai, standing in the doorway, tilted his head. "Oh? So you were on a date after all?"

"N-not like that, teme!" Naruto exclaimed, blushing. He was distracted when Yugito shifted in her sleep and he turned his gaze upon her. "She's my friend, Sai, so shut the hell up."

The other boy blinked and tilted his head in wonder. He still did not fully understand the concepts of emotions.

Sakura walked up to the bed, standing beside her shishou to look upon Yugito's sleeping face. "Who exactly is she? I know you make friends quickly, Naruto, but I haven't known you to become actual friends with someone in such a short amount of time. And judging from the records I went over this morning, she's a foreigner."

Naruto glanced up at the pink haired young woman; his form stiffening slightly, and briefly locked gazes with Tsunade. The unspoken interaction between the two blondes was not lost on the young medic-nin. The fox boy pressed his lips together, looking back down at Yugito and stroked the chocolate haired woman's soft, bandaged hand.

"I don't think it's be a good idea to tell you without her permission, Sakura-chan. She showed up on my doorstep the other night, looking for someone precious to her. She thought I was him."

"Shippo? She screamed that name."

Naruto sighed. "That's her business, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette huffed lightly, but nodded. As curious as she was, she shouldn't pry into strangers' private life.

"Sakura-senpai!" Called a male voice. They all turned to the doorway to a young, brown haired apprentice medic standing in the hallway. He fidgeted with the clipboard in his hands. "Ah, sorry to interrupt, senpai, Hokage-sama, but Ryuuzaki-san is asking for you again."

Sakura suppressed a groan. "Please tell me he's not trying to propose to me again?" Just thinking of the senile old man gave her a migraine.

Te other medic shifted nervously. "I do not know, senpai. I was just sent down to fetch you."

The pink haired woman rubbed her nose and nodded. "Very well. I'll see you later, Naruto, Tsunade-shishou."

Naruto gave his teammate a little wave with his free hand and watched as Sai lingered for a moment before following the kunoichi. His attention was drawn back to the Godaime, however, when the woman let out a long sigh.

"I'm not sure just how strong of a grip Yugito-san has on you right now, Naruto, but as soon as you can get free, I want to speak with out in my office about her."

The fox boy eyed his mother figure with curious eyes. His first thought was that Tsunade was going to scold him for sneaking Yugito out, but something about the way she had spoken and the look in her honey-brown eyes just seemed… tired.

Nevertheless, he nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, baa-chan."

Yugito whimpered something in her sleep as the Sannin left the room, her fingernails digging into Naruto's arm as a tear made its way down her smooth cheek.

What are you dreaming about, Yugito-chan? He wondered.

Dreamscape

I'm breathing heavily, kneeling in a field of freshly killed demons with Miroku. He's not physically injured, but his mentality is slowly deteriorating and I cradle his head in my lap, ignoring the sweet-metallic smell surrounding us and splashed across our clothing. His breathing is labored, the dark bags around his eyes purple and swollen.

"I'm so tired, Sango." He whispers.

"I know, love."

"He won't stop yelling."

"I know."

"I don't know how much more I can take. It's one thing to go out and kill demons like this, but… I… what if next time…?" he chokes on his words and closes his deep violet eyes.

I hold back a sob and press my lips against his forehead, my pale golden hair mixing with his black locks. I feel his fingers reach up to caress my check, spreading cold, wet blood across my face. Shivers of disgust and guilt race down my spine. I know that I'll always love Miroku no matter what, but these episodes… the insanity, the bloodshed… it's difficult to bear.

"I'm so sorry, Sango."

"I know."

"You don't have to stay with me."

"I know."

"You can leave me if you want to."

"I know."

"I've become a monster."

"I know."

"… Sango?"

"…"

"I want to die."

My tears fall, hot and stinging and a broken sob escapes from the core of my throat. "I know."

End Dreamscape

Naruto stared at the Godaime Hokage in shock, his blue eyes wide and lips parted in surprise.

"Yugito… stay with me?"

Tsunade nodded from the other side of her desk, slender fingers laced together. "Yes. Considering the fact that she's the container for a demon, much like you, I believe it would be wise if she could be allowed to recover with you alongside her. Also, from what we've seen so far, she is definitely more comfortable around you than anybody else. As you saw with Sakura, she broke down entirely and ran after you. It was only then she calmed down. It's obvious that you're a comforting figure to her, Naruto. A 'human safety blanket,' if you will."

The orange-clad teen averted his eyes. "It's the fox she finds comforting, Tsunade-baa-chan."

Tsunade's hazel eyes softened slightly. "Perhaps, Naruto, but I think that's only partially true. She said many kind things about you when she first woke up, remember?"

Flashback Jutsu!

"You smell just like Inuyasha!" She exclaimed, smiling softly. "I missed that smell."

"What smell?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"Ramen."

Flashback Kai!

"She did, didn't she?" Naruto mumbled, his eyes distant.

"Good!" the Godaime exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I'll start making the arrangements immediately."

Naruto blanched. "Eh?! But-but she's a girl! What do you expect me to do when she… you know… needs girl stuff?"

"Sakura can help you out."

"I only have a one-bedroom apartment!"

Tsunade smirked, twirling a pen between her fingers. "Well, then I'll just have to increase your paycheck, won't I?"

He blinked. "Obaa-chan…"

She stood up, ignoring his stunned expression. "Now get out of my office! I expect there'll be less havoc if you're there when she wakes up, so get going!" she said, pushing him toward the door.

"Bu-but I-!"

"No buts! You made a promise to that girl."

Naruto stiffened.

Flashback Jutsu!

"Don't you leave me too," she pleaded tearfully, "They all left me behind; don't you leave me all alone again too!"

Naruto bit his lip and squeezed her sobbing form against him. He understood. He understood so well it nearly caused him pain. "I won't, Yugito, I swear. I won't leave you alone."

Flashback Kai!

Tsunade has to suppress the grin that threatened to rise when she saw Naruto's eyes take on a determined glint. The boy was so noble and pure of heart he was almost foolish.

Without any further prompting, he strode out of the Hokage's office. He made a promise, and like all others he had made, he was determined to keep it.

-

I roll over onto my right side, my hand hitting nothing but thin air as it hung limply off the edge of the bed. With some effort, I open my eyes and see my hospital room fade into focus. Groaning lightly, I move onto my back and press my fingers to my forehead. what had happened to me? I suppose I lost consciousness. Who was it that had carried me here? I remember orange, and warmth, and strong, gentle hands...

I sit up quickly, only to recoil at the dizziness that overcomes me and I sway slightly before putting my hand back on my head. "Naruto?" I call, looking around the room. There is no one here with me. I am alone.

Alone...

Like when Miroku...

Panic and terror bloom within my breast and I stumble out of bed. No, no! Don't leave me alone! Kami-sama, please, I don't want to be alone anymore! My legs give way beneath me and I grasp the doorframe quickly, hugging it as if I could meld myself into the wood and disappear. It hurts... I hurt when I'm alone...

For a split moment, Miroku's voice goes through my head, engulfing me in grief. I throw myself from the doorway and dash down the halls, forgetting my loneliness and desolation in the need to get away from the painfully familiar voice echoing through my mind. I round a corner, slip on the smooth, tiled floor, and crash into something human. a pair of hands grab my shoulders, balancing both myself and whom I'd run into. I am afraid to look up and see who the person is, but the smell of ramen soon fills my senses as I am crushed against his chest.

Blinking in surprise, I look up timidly. "Naruto?"

His clear blue eyes meet mine. He looks a little winded, though more out of surprise than anything else. "Are you okay, Yugito?"

I feel my face heat up and distantly wonder if I am getting sick. "Yeah. S-sorry about that."

He grins. "It's okay. Where did you think you were going, though? You sure seemed in a hurry!"

I look away, shame filling my features. Why was I running? To find Naruto, or just any person because I was afraid to be alone? Oh, I'm so confused. I never had a fear of waking up alone a week ago. Without Kirara... oh, I feel like I'm falling apart. I hardly know who I am anymore! What has happened to me?

"Yugito-chan?"

I choke back a sob and press myself into Naruto's firm, orange-clad chest, feeling tears slip from my eyes and into the fabric. His grip tightens around me in a comforting gesture, and I can't help but sigh when he runs a hand through my unbound hair. Ooh, that feels good... I tilt my head up slightly, pressing against his fingers. I cannot see his expression, my eyes closed in a pathetic attempt to keep more tears from spilling, but he seems a little startled by my action; I think he's not sure what to make of it. His hesitation lasts only a brief moment though, and I revel in his soft touch as he pets me again and press further into his hand. I hear him chuckle faintly and growl in response.

"You are just too cute, Yugito." he says, his voice tinkling with traces of laughter.

My chocolate eyes snap open at the comment and I bat his hand away, feeling unusually warm. The blonde boy frowns at me lightly before placing his hand on my forehead.

"Are you feeling okay? You look pretty red." He says.

I place my hand over his, upon my forehead. "I'm not sure. I feel a little feverish." Blinking, I pull my hands away from him to see fresh, wet, redness bleeding though the bandages. I groan. "Not again..."

An arm swoops my feet out from under me and I squeal in alarm, my arms instinctually latching around Naruto's neck. What's his deal? What's he thinking? "What are you doing?!" I exclaim, pressing myself against him. I don't want to be dropped.

I freeze quickly, however, when his breath falls against my cheek. "Don't worry, Yugito," he assures me, grinning, "We're just going back to your room. You shouldn't walk around too much if you're feeling sick."

I nod as he begins walking. Why do I find him so comforting? He's so warm. I like being warm. It's not cold like when I crawled to this village in the rain. Or cold like Kohaku. Naruto is warm and alive, not dead. It's been many years since I've been this close to another living person. I think I should probably feel somewhat nostalgic about that, but I feel very warm and content, like some empty part of me is filling up.

His heartbeat thrums in my ear and I reluctantly let go as he sets me on the bed. He smiles down at me, but I can't help but sense that he seems troubled by something.

I tilt my head. "Is something bothering you?"

He sighs, though his smile doesn't completely fade, and places a hand on the back of his neck. "Well, sort of... Tsunade-baachan thinks you should move in with me once you're out of the hospital."

I blink at the rush of words. "Really?"

His shoulders relax; I guess he's gained confidence since I haven't outright refused him. "Yeah! She thinks that we would able to relate to one another and also, since we get along pretty well, it'd be better for you to be around someone you're familiar with. You're okay with it?"

I nod and a smile creeps over my features. Naruto turns a little red for some reason. I hope I'm not getting him sick too... "Yes. I... I'd like that. Very much."

**End Chapter 4**

-

**Triops Master**: Here's Chapter four! Sorry for the wait. It's amazing what personal injury can do with a fan fic (Sweat drop) any way there was a miss understanding in the last chapter's author's note I want clear… I'm a boy, not a girl. Sorry for the confusion.

Mysteri: And _**I**_ AM a girl, got it everyone? Me girl, Triops boy.

Like Triops said, sorry for the wait. Things have been really busy on my end and I haven't gotten as much writing done as I would like. For those of you following "The Demon Prince of Konoha" I'm going to try my best to get another chapter out before New Year's Eve, but I can't make any promises. I have a lot to do, and I also got kicked out of school for something I wrote, so I have to get stuff done before I can go back. I'm seriously considering Alternative School.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Homes Are Where?**

I follow Naruto and Sai down the street as they lead me to Naruto's apartment, my new home. _Home_… the word sounds strange to me after all these years. Naruto and Sai are bickering about something or other. Everything is going over my head, time and time again, but I can't say I particularly care. I forgot what it's like to travel in a group of people. It's nice.

Naruto's insistent arguing and pride is just like Inuyasha's, though Sai possesses Shippo's naïveté and the euphemisms of Miroku; a strange, but somewhat amusing combination.

I stop at the thought of my lost friends, hot water collecting along the frills of my eyelashes. Frustrated, I shake them away, scowling at the self-pity.

"Yugito, are you okay?" Naruto's voice splits through my unhappy thoughts and I look up at him inhaling deeply.

His eyes are blue and bright, far too bright and honest to be Miroku's, and the wrong color to be either Inuyasha or Shippo. I swallow lightly and nod, the corners of my lips beginning to curl. I am being foolish, comparing him to my old companions. Naruto is Naruto and nobody else. I shouldn't expect him to be.

Content with my response, he grins and returns to the conversation at hand.

"I still do not know, Naruto-kun, with an outfit like that I still say-." Sai begins only to be swiftly cut off.

"They've got to be pajamas; after all, didn't you say the guy was in bed when you woke him up?" The blonde barks back.

"Still, those clothes quite clearly imply that the man is of the uke type, according to what I've read."

_Uke_? I wonder curiously. _What's an uke_?

"Sai! Shut up! I don't need those disgusting images!" Naruto exclaims, slapping his hands over his ears in emphasis. The bridge of his nose is heavily dusted with bright pink and I feel my own cheeks heat up, feeling his embarrassment.

"So…" I begin unsurely. "What's an uke?"

Naruto freezes in mid-step, looking at me with silent horror. I begin to wonder just what it was I have asked, but before I can say anything more, Naruto is behind me, his large, calloused hands covering my ears firmly.

"Shame on you, Sai!" He exclaims furiously. "Corrupting a pair of virgin ears!" Grabbing my wrist firmly, Naruto marches away, dragging me along with him.

I resist the urge to raise an eyebrow at the fellow Jinchuuriki's antics. Virgin ears? Me? I would hardly claim that someone who spent years in Miroku's company to have anything virgin, least of all ears. The man asked every woman he came across to bear his child and never stopped groping me with his "cursed hand".

Nevertheless, I don't voice these thoughts. I doubt they're something Naruto will be interested in hearing, and I don't particularly wish to recall those memories. Glancing behind us, I see Sai following. I suppose he doesn't have much else to do.

Naruto slows down once Sai is a good distance behind us, but I can honestly say that I'm surprised he hasn't let go of my hand. I suppose he hasn't noticed, but I don't mind. His hand is warm. Softly, I squeeze a little tighter.

A familiar patch of sidewalk, an odd v-shaped crack spiking through the concrete, catches my eye and my step falters for a brief moment. I know where we are… Broken memories of _that_ night skitter through my mind; the freezing rain, my throbbing hands, and the blood. Some parts of the pavement are scrubbed, erasing the trails of blood that I had left behind nights ago. I close my eyes and shudder when a tear escapes the confines of my eye. I still remember, clearly, crawling desperately across the ground, numb and vomiting blood before reaching Shippo and fainting into Naruto's arms.

Bitter hatred curls in my gut and I recognize the feeling as one similar to when Naraku had my clan slaughtered. I had felt grief and hopelessness at first at first, but that had eventually evolved into scorn and hatred. In the back of my mind, I wondered if I would have lost all sense of companionship and decency if I hadn't met Inuyasha. I probably would have convinced myself that only I could kill Naraku and that other people would have slowed me down. I suppress a snort at the ridiculous thought.

Akatsuki will pay for taking Kirara from me. I will regain my strength, hanyou or not, and I will get Kirara back from them. I will!

"Yugito?" Naruto's voice brings me back to reality again and I turn my eyes onto him, feeling a strange pang of disappointment when I see that his hand is no longer holding mine. He has his hands on the lock of his door, key turned. I tilt my head and feel my fingers along the wood, firm and lightly stained by a formerly bloody handprint. I settle my hand over the mark, falling back into my mind.

However, before any more thoughts can fly across my mind, I find myself enveloped in Naruto's arms, my nose pressed against his chest and his arms firm and reassuring against my back.

"We'll beat the Akatsuki, Yugito. For sure."

I smile and close my eyes, savoring his warmth and taking courage from his words. Before I can respond or hug him back though, he is gone, back to unlocking his door. The reason why makes itself apparent in the form of a tactless, black-haired boy named Sai.

"What's wrong, Dickless? Can't you even open the lock on your own door?"

"SAI!!!"

I beat Naruto to the punch, quite literally, and sent the pale boy face-first into the floor. "So rude," I remark, crossing my arms, "Is it really that hard to at least be courteous?"

Naruto is gaping at me, his door half-open, and I blush and scuff my toe against the ground. Maybe I was too hasty in hitting him? But I really can't stand people who insult those I consider my friends…

Naruto clears his throat loudly. "Um, shall we go in?" he says.

I nod, holding my hands in front of me. "Yeah, sorry, I just don't like people who insult my friends." I mumble, too shy to meet his eyes. To my shock, however, the blonde starts laughing.

"Don't worry about it, Yugito. Sai's used to being hit by now. You should see when Sakura-chan hits him with that insane strength of hers!" I don't think he realizes he has scooted back an extra six inches from me, and for some reason, I don't feel hurt by that notion.

"Only this time, she didn't smile." Sai mutters pulling himself slowly off the ground. "I'll keep that in mind. Later Crybaby, Dickless, have fun tonight." It was then Sai decided to make his exit.

'Have fun tonight'? Naruto and I blush while he exclaims in protest; I just discovered how interesting the floor can be. Wow, what intense wooden detail... those grains look like a duck...

"Well, I suppose I should give you the grand tour of the place, even if its only for this one night." Naruto begins, once he has calmed down. Grabbing my wrist, he pulls me into the apartment. "This is the kitchen" He points at a small kitchenette with a table with two chairs. I lookearound and notice he has a few potted plants and the room is a light, comfortable, simple tan color. I feel warm thinking of how that suits him. "And this is the bathroom…." My curiosity sparks as I begin exploring each room with my eyes, like a small kitten in a new territory. Haha, me, a kitten...

I inhale deeply as we walked along, taking in the blossoming scents of spring when Naruto slides a window open.

"So that's my place, it's not much, but its home." Naruto finishes. Walking in to the kitchenette, he pulls out a kettle and two packs of instant ramen. "So enough about me, what about you? I mean all I know is that you know the Kyuubi, his name is Shippo, and you knew this guy named Inuyasha, who seems to like ramen. But that's it… so what do you like? What do you dislike? And what was your life like?" The kettle is filled with water and set on the small stove set to boil.

"My past…" I murmur. "Well, it's certainly not a short story."

Naruto smiles at me, chuckling softly. "It's not as if I've got anywhere else to be." He says with a lighthearted shrug. He nudges his shoulder against mine. "C'mon, I wanna hear this. I'll tell you my life story!"

My lips thin into a soft smile and I glance away. "Where to start?" I mumble with a sigh.

"Well, where were you born?" He asked.

"In the Demon Slayers Village in what is now the North-East part of Kumogakure. I was the eldest child in my family, my father was head of the Slayers and he trained me from birth to kill demons. During that time there was a lot of war among the humans and demons were thriving on the aftermath of battle."

And before I knew it, I was telling stories of growing up with Kohaku and Kirara, and other children of the Slayer's village, I even felt brave enough to tell him about Naraku and what happened to the village, I even told him about how I met Inuyasha, Kagome-chan, Shippo, and I even mentioned Miroku. The words fell from my lips surprisingly easily and as my three-hundred year-old story unfolded, I felt as if a burden was lifted my shoulders. I'd never actually told anybody about my life before, and for the first time, i realize just how old I've become.

I stroke the prayer beads wrapped around my wrist affectionately, glad that the hospital people didn't throw away my belongings. I don't know what I would have done if I lost Miroku's beads. I consider them to be my most precious belonging. I close my eyes, a content smile on my lips. Miroku's sacred beads have always chased away my nightmares and sad feelings. Hopefully, I can sleep peacefully tonight.

I turn back to Naruto and begin telling him about the time we rescued a village from an evil yokai that impersonated a water goddess.

Naruto laughs and tells me about the time he impersonated a classmate of his and the trouble it got him into.

I laugh and begin to yawn.

"It's getting late. I think it's time to retire for the night." I say and my eyes begin to droop.

-

Naruto squirmed in his sleeping bag and tried to fluff his pillow before he turned to his side, away from Yugito.

So Akatsuki took the Nibi or two-tailed cat, and now he was going to rescue the biju, and the other Jinchuuruki; more people like him, Gaara, and Yugito huh?

He rolled on to his back.

Yugito sighed softly in her sleep.

Well, at least he was being the gentleman on the floor while Yugito was sleeping in his bed.

In his bed…

"_Have fun tonight."_

Stupid Sai, he didn't know what he was talking about…. Maybe the pale-paced jerk just read a girl's magazine about slumber parties and was not talking about se—

Naruto smacked his forehead repeatedly, trying to get rid of the thoughts that raided his mind. There was no need to think perverted things about Yugito! Okay, so she was a girl and she was in his bed. There was nothing perverted about a girl being in his bed and he wasn't thinking perverted things about the girl in his bed! Ero-sennin would think perverted things about a girl in his bed, but Naruto _certainly_ wasn't Ero-sennin and therefore _wasn't_ thinking perverted things about the girl in his bed!

He groaned into his pillow, his index finger waving around wildly as he scolded himself.

Okay, maybe he should stop thinking…. Wasn't there a pressure point in the back of the neck that will put him to sleep?

Automaticly Naruto's hand darted to his neck and began poking around his neck until he found it at the base of his neck and squeezed hard.

_**Dreamscape**_

Naruto sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, okay, maybe the neck pinch wasn't such a good idea…

It was then he noticed that he was sitting in water. He looked around and recognized the walls and the plumbing, He wasn't in his bedroom anymore.

There was a low growl coming from his right. Knowing who it was, Naruto sighed and decided to find out what the fox wanted.

As Naruto walked along the pipes the fox seemed to sense his approach, the growl changed from one of usual anger and rage, to one of impatience.

"All right. stupid fox, what do you want?" Naruto exclaimed as he walked in to the room containing the Kyuubi's cage.

"Let's get something straight ningen. I don't like you, or any other human for that matter, and you don't like me." The giant nine-tailed fox snarled from his enclosure.

"What about Yugito? Why don't you hate her?" Naruto said with a sudden epiphany.

"Sango is different, boy, and things were different back then. Don't assume to know the details of my past."

Naruto crossed his arms, muttering under his breath. "Damn grouchy bastard."

Kyuubi growled, causing the room to shudder. "Hold your tongue! I brought you here for a reason and you will listen willingly or I will use force!"

The blonde eyed the demon curiously. "That'll depend on what I'm supposed to listen to."

The fox growled again, but sat back on his haunches. "You promised Sango that you would help her save Kirara and I'll be damned if I'm left out of things. I have a deal for you."

Naruto couldn't say he wasn't interested now. "A deal?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What kind of deal?"

"Don't look at me like that or I'll rip your face off. Whatever it is you're thinking, it's way off. Akatsuki is gathering all nine Bijuu for some twisted experiment. As it is, they possess several demons, including Kirara and Hatchi…"

"Who's Hatchi?"

"Don't interrupt. Hatchi is the tanuki that was sealed inside your red haired friend…"

"Gaara? You mean Shukaku?"

"Stop interrupting, damn it! Ningen… _as I was saying_, they possess several demons, and I have a good idea of exactly which demons they are. This human behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it any longer." The great kitsune paused, the next words being a great blow to his pride. "I… am willing… to give you the power you need to free my comrades and destroy Akatsuki, without the pleasant side of effect of me fighting for dominance."

Naruto gaped in silence for several seconds. "… You're serious?"

Kyuubi grunted, looking away.

"What's the catch? What do you get out of this?"

The fox shifted its shoulders. "First off… you have to become a hanyou- don't look at me like that, let me explain. You can't even use a third of my power without doing extensive damage to yourself, and every time you use my chakra your life grows shorter. As of right now, you're not going to live to see your fortieth birthday, kid. Become a hanyou and you won't have to worry about that. In exchange, I want you to take care of Sango and… let me share your senses. So I can hear and see and feel… and taste… everything that you do."

Naruto blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Okay… I can kind of understand Sango, and I'll think about the whole hanyou thing, but why do you want to share my senses?"

The demon frowned. "Sharing your senses is the closest I can get to the outside world without forcibly taking control of you, and… I also… haven't tasted…" He broke off into mumbles.

"What was that?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

There were more grumbles before the kitsune managed to swallow his pride. "I… I haven't tasted chocolate in decades, okay?!"

Naruto stared… and stared…. and stared… Then he burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, you worthless meat monkey!" Kyuubi growled angrily, glaring with a fury that could have melted all of Snow Country to a quivering puddle.

"Ha, ha, are you kidding me?" Naruto guffawed, holding his sides. "The great, evil, Kyuubi no Youko has a soft spot for chocolate?! Ha, ha, ha…"

Kyuubi growled angrily, a red glow covering his body, and slowly began to shrink. Naruto failed to notice as he howled with laughter. His chuckles were cut off, however, when a clawed hand shot out from between the bars and latched onto his throat.

"Kami, damn it, shut up already!" The transformed kitsune snapped. Naruto blinked as he found himself staring into a pair of incredible emerald eyes, framed by feathery locks of auburn hair. It would have been a… dare he think it… beautiful face had it not been scowling, pale skin crumpled in fury. Kyuubi… or should it be Shippo now? … snorted at the blonde's expression and threw him back, watching as Naruto stumbled back into the water.

"Ningen." He spat, crossing his arms.

Naruto shook the water out of his hair and looked up at the kitsune with wide eyes. Of all the things he imagined Kyuubi might look like in human form, this wasn't what he had in mind. The fox didn't look too much older than him, maybe nineteen or twenty years old, and was surprisingly short, only a few inches taller than Naruto himself. Feathery, auburn hair was pulled back into a long ponytail that nearly reached his waist, stray bangs framing his sharply angled, fair-skinned face. Bright emerald eyes glimmered with icy flames, offsetting the turquoise haori and russet fur vest. A red hamaka hung over his legs, which resembled natural fox feet. He was very slim too, his body well made for stealth and agility. A cream-colored tail twitched behind him, surprisingly puffy looking. Were it not for his reputation and the scowl marring his face, Naruto would have said the kitsune looked, well… friendly, almost.

"What are you looking at?" Kyuubi snapped.

Naruto started slightly, not realizing he had been staring. "Ah, sorry, it's just that you look so… different than I thought you would."

The fox's scowl lessened slightly. "Yeah, well… we've been stuck together fifteen years, you might as well know what I really look like." He frowned again. "Look, do we have a deal or not?" he demanded, holding his hand out between the bars.

Naruto stood and eyed the hand warily, considering and more than a little suspicious. Finally, he took a deep breath and stepped forward, grasping the demon's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Deal."

Kyuubi nodded. "Good." Suddenly, he yanked Naruto closer, placing both of their faces right up to the bars, baring his fangs. "And if you tell anyone about the chocolate thing, I'll make sure you become an even worse insomniac than that Gaara kid, got it?"

Naruto paled somewhat and nodded vigorously. "G-got it!"

"Good." Kyuubi said, releasing the teen. "Now wake your ass up and start training. As you are, your body can't handle all the youki I'll be giving you to make you a hanyou without ripping you to shreds, so expect to work your ass off until you can. Plus, I believe Sango is about to wake. And don't forget to eat some chocolate!"

Wha-?" Naruto sat up abruptly, finding himself back in his room. He frowned, pushing the sleeping bag off of him. "Crazy kitsune…" he mumbled under his breath, yawning.

-

**End Chapter 5**

**Mysteri**: Phew! This is moving pretty quickly! I've had that dreamscape scene with Kyuubi planned for ages! I'm glad we finally got it out!


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